Drag rake



H. F. MccLEsKEY DRAG BAKE July 12 i949.

3 shams-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 19, 1945 INVENTo.

July 12, 1949e H. F. MccLEsKEY 2,475,90

DRAG RAKE Filed Nov. 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Shea?I 2 73 IN V EN TOR.

yFiled Nov. 19, 1945 DRAG BAKE Y 3 Sheetsf-Sheet 3 Patented July 12, 1949 This -inventionrelates Ato drag rakes; one--fP the' objectsv being to provideanr efeient -rakedesigned' t0"be"C(mln@CitedtoY the backfendsofvf a tractorA oranothersuitablevehicle" and which isy equipped witlfrY means bywhich the`rakefcanreadily-belited-rOm active'position-for the-purv pnoseor' delivering; material accumulated thereby.-

Anotherbbject-` of tlreinvention;` is tol provi-der means b-ywhich material is stripped t from the rake v whensaidrakey isliftedto*A load-releasing:` position:

A-nother-4 object` i s-to; provide arake which isdurable; VwillLnot--readilygetout of order, and-cam be-connect ed^readily-toa\tractoror-the-like;

Withthe foregoing -a nd foth'er objeotsgin View which will appear asl thel description proceeds,v thepinyention oo nsistswof certain novelde-tails--ofe constructionV and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully,des,cribedandl29hted out in the claims, it being understoodthat changes may be made.- in; the,- construction1 .andl arrangiamenti of parts without departing invention asfclairned,

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form ofi-'the invention has beemshown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is. a. central. vertical section .through therake, the same beingy shownaconnectedito-.th'e back.' end forca-tractor., indicated-by-u broken-lines, the rake being in active position.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the rake in delivering position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section through the attachment viewed from the side opposite to that illustrated in Figure 1 and showing the connection between the frame and one of the stripping rods.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of attachment.

Figure 5 is a view of the rake and its connecting beam detached from the operating means, said rake being viewed from the front.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the means employed for attaching a rake tine to its attaching beam or base.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a transverse supporting bar suspended at its ends by threaded rods 2 and nuts 3 which can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly to raise or lower the bar. These bolts 2 are loosely connected at 4 to attaching strips 5 connected to opposed portions of the tractor T or the like adjacent to the rear end thereof.

Bar I serves normally to support side links 6 which are pivotally connected at their rear ends a portion of the from; ther; spiriti; O -f thm convergingfconnectingstrips 2f to-the-respeetivesides-ot the tractor as indicatedr ati-T' An attaching-beam 8f; preferably channeled; is providedibetween` its endsI and preferably atequal distances from the f.. center thereof.l with f arms I 0i rigidlyfj oined ther eto `-andextending downwardly therefrom,- these armsfbeingpivotally connected@ at-f'theirf-lower -e-nds tothe--sidelinl s Iii-by means.; of rstudsl Iiwhiclraresextendedtoward each otherm andI are aligned,as shown in- Fifguregl. Upwardly `I mare-rigidly joined; tothe )depending arms- I 0 andcooperate `to l form a; baila the -upperfvendeoffwhichds pivotally 1 j oinedf asat` Ito; arrupper -linkdllnvhich extends back-- wardly'- tosafrod I 5 carrying A a cushioningespring..J I @which can be l otfafnyv suitable `constructionandi arrangement:

f The channeled beam 8 ^is provided;1 withl suitv ably-looated=hinges I I'I for-con-nectingangle Abeam I8-f-to\.the-beam 82:- Thisangle beam' constitutes "l the-head: of-thewralee andi is providedl with a standardil 9i1rigidly-secured thereto and `pivotallyy connecting at 20 to a connecting-arm 2'I.which is forked at 22 to4 straddle-standard I9 and is also forkedeatitsfotherend-as shown at 23to straddle andV pivotally f engage abrackety 24- attachedtol thef rear;end'oPthe-tractor T-.

Secured=tothebottomoifthe head lIB-is a-fseries of attach-ing pla-tes- 2.?5A4 each' orf` whichA has am angularly disposed flange 26 along one edge provided with a slot 21, while the opposite edge of the plate is bent to form a clamping member 28.

Each tine of the rake consists of an arcuate portion 29 merging into a coil 30 from which is extended a straight portion 3| and a terminal finger 32 extended at right angles thereto. The parts are so proportioned that when the plate 25 is attached to the bottom of beam or head I8 it will receive the straight portion 3I of the tine within slot 21 While nger 32 will be received within the clamping member 28. This is clearly shown in Figure 6 and obviously, when the plate is tightly fastened to the head I8 the tine will be held securely to the head and will be prevented from rotating relative to the head.

Any desired number of tines can be used and they can be spaced apart any desired distances.

Beam 8 is provided at desired points with sleeves 33 integral therewith. In each of these sleeves is secured a stem 34 located at one end of a stripping rod 35. The parts are so located and proportioned that when the tines are in their lower or active positions, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the stripping rods 35 which are straight from end to end, will extend between the tines and rearwardly therebeyond at points adjacent to the upper ends of the tines. In other words, the stripping rods are maintained constantly at fixed angles relative to the beam 8.

Lifting rods 36 connect the side links 6 to crank arms 37 extending from a shaft 38 mounted on the rear portion of the tractor and any suitable means, forming no part of the present invention, can be used for rotating this shaft. For example, the shaft can be rotated hydraulically by the action of a lever indicated at 39.

Under normal operating conditions, the tines of the rake are in their lowermost positions with their lower ends extending forwardly toward the vehicle or tractor T and in contact with the ground. Consequently, as the rake is drawn forwardly, these tines will gather up the hay or other material in the path thereof. When the rake is filled with this gathered material, its contents can be dumped simply by operating the crank arms 3'I so as to pull upwardly through lifting rods 36 upon the side links 6. This will cause the side links to swing upwardly about the pivotal connections l, thereby raising the arms I and I2 the upper portions of which will be swung forwardly because of the restraint exercised by the upper link I4. Thus, as shown in Figure 2, at the same time beam 8, which is moved upwardly with the arms I 0 and I2, will elevate the head I8. As this head is held under restraint by the connecting arm 2| and the standard I9, swinging about the connection with bracket 24, it will be apparent that the upward movement of the parts will result in the tines being swung upwardly relative to the beam 8 and to the stripping rods 35. Thus the load carried by the tines will be stripped therefrom by the ngers 35 and dropped to the ground thereunder. As soon as the arms 31 are returned to their normal position, as shown in Figure 1, the rake tines and other parts associated therewith will also drop to their normal positions.

What is claimed is:

1. A drag rake attachment for tractors or the like including a cross beam, a rake head extended longitudinally thereof and hingedly joined thereto for movement through substantially a quarter circle, tines xed to and extending from the head,

upper and lower arms i'lxedly joined to the beam. side links positioned to connect the lower arms to the side portions of the tractor, an upper link pivotally connected to the upper arms, cushioning means for the upper link, a connecting arm angularly disposed relative to the links, means for pivotally joining said arm to the rear end of a tractor or the like, a standard on the head pivotally connected to the connecting arm, and means connected to the side links for raising and lowering said links and the arm, said arm and links being positioned to swing the head and tines relative to the beam during the swinging movement of the links.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of a drag rake connected to the back end thereof and including upper and lower forwardly converging links pivotally connected to the vehicle, a cross beam, upper and lower arms xedly joined to the cross beam and pivotally connected to the upper and lower links respectively, a rake head extending longitudinally of and hingedly connected to the beam for movement through substantially a, quarter circle, tines xedly joined to and extending from the head for movement therewith, a standard on the head and xed thereto, a connecting arm pivotally joined to the standard and to the back end of the tractor, said arm being disposed at an angle relative to the links, said links and arms having their pivotal connections with the tractor out of alignment, and means for simultaneously swinging the links and arms upwardly or downwardly, said arm and standard constituting means for swinging the tines relative to the beam during the swinging movement of the links.

HENRY F. MCCLESKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,226,460 Bristol et al Dec. 24, 1940 2,328,121 Bartek Aug. 31, 1943 2,352,466 Arps June 27, 1944 2,364,303 Martin Dec. 5, 1944 

